Casey Hord

Teaching Area and Volume to Students With Mild Intellectual Disability

In the current educational climate, teachers are required to find methods to give all students, including students with mild intellectual disability, access to the general education curriculum. The purpose of this study was to investigate the combined effects of the concrete−semiconcrete−abstract instructional sequence and model-based problem solving to teach area and volume to sixth-grade students with mild intellectual disability. The researchers in this study utilized a multiple probe design, a variation of the multiple baseline design, to establish the functional relationship between the intervention and students’ performance on area and volume problems. The participants solved a high percentage of the sixth-grade-level problems addressed on the criterion tests, but success with more complex problems will be necessary for proficiency at grade level with the Common Core Standards for Mathematics.

An Intelligent Tutor-Assisted Mathematics Intervention Program for Students With Learning Difficulties

The Common Core Mathematics Standards have raised expectations for schools and students in the United States. These standards demand much deeper content knowledge from teachers of mathematics and their students. Given the increasingly diverse student population in today’s classrooms and shortage of qualified special education teachers, computer-assisted instruction may provide supplementary support, in conjunction with the core mathematics instruction, for meeting the needs of students with different learning profiles. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential effects of the Please Go Bring Me-Conceptual Model-Based Problem Solving (PGBM-COMPS) intelligent tutor program on enhancing the multiplicative problem-solving skills of students with learning disabilities or difficulties in mathematics.

Review of Mathematics Interventions for Secondary Students With Learning Disabilities

Recent educational policy has raised the standards that all students, including students with disabilities, must meet in mathematics. To examine the strategies currently used to support students with learning disabilities, the authors reviewed literature from 2006 to 2014 on mathematics interventions for students with learning disabilities. The 12 articles reviewed contain various instructional focuses, including systematic instructions, problem-based instruction, and visual representation. This review includes discussion of the interventions used, including the success of interventions used for both students with disabilities and students without disabilities. Implications for practice and future research are also discussed, including the need for continued research on middle and high school interventions to address a variety of mathematical skills and concepts.

A Literature Review of Academic Interventions for College Students With Learning Disabilities

The number of students with learning disabilities (LD) enrolling in postsecondary education has increased rapidly over the past decade. It is imperative to investigate what interventions have been used to assist students with LD in achieving academic success. To examine the interventions currently used to support students with LD in postsecondary education, the authors reviewed the relevant literature from 2000 to 2016. Four primary types of interventions were identified from 12 articles: assistive technology, direct assistance, strategy instruction, and comprehensive support program. The findings indicate that the student-centered approach is an important characteristic of current academic interventions for students with LD in postsecondary education. The authors also provide implications for researchers and practitioners for improving postsecondary interventions on students with LD.

An Exploratory Analysis of a Middle School Science Curriculum: Implications for Students with Learning Disabilities.

An exploratory study of a middle school curriculum directly aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards was conducted with a focus on how the curriculum addresses the instructional needs of students with learning disabilities. A descriptive analysis of a lesson on speed and velocity was conducted and implications discussed for students with learning disabilities. Areas of strength are noted, including the use of color-coded equations, teacher demos, visual learning, and inquiry-based labs. It was determined that situations likely to create difficulties for students with learning disabilities include a heavy emphasis on reading and fast-paced, verbally demanding, discussion-based activities.